The 2024 Beijing Yizhuang Half Marathon started on November 10, 2024. The robot “Tiangong” crossed the finish line with the participants as a “closing rabbit” (a pacer who encourages runners and encourages them to keep running). Source: english.beijing.gov.cn
China will host the world’s first marathon in which humans and humanoid robot runners will run together in a groundbreaking event in April, the Global Times heard from event organizer Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone on Tuesday. Preparations are underway.
For the first time, dozens of humanoid robots will take part in a half marathon in Beijing’s Daxing district. According to local authorities, about 12,000 participants will take part in the race, with robots from more than 20 companies running alongside each other along the 21-kilometer route.
Organizers say prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers, whether human or robot. Companies, research institutes, robot clubs, universities, etc. will participate in the marathon with humanoid robots. Remotely controlled and fully autonomous robots will be eligible, with operators able to change batteries during the race.
This marathon will feature robots developed by more than 20 companies, each meeting criteria such as humanoid shape and bipedal walking ability. The humanoid must also be between 0.5 meters and 2 meters tall.
According to Xinhua News Agency, some of the notable participants include “Tiangong,” a humanoid robot developed by China’s Embodied Artificial Intelligence Robot Innovation Center, which previously ran in Beijing’s Yizhuang Half Marathon. That’s what it means.
There is a growing trend to incorporate robots into marathons. Wei Jiaxing, marketing director of Tiangong developer, told the Global Times on Tuesday that Tiangong, a humanoid robot with an average speed of 10 km/h, will participate in the race. According to Wei, “This will be my first time competing in an official marathon from start to finish.”
China is positioning itself at the forefront of humanoid robot technology innovation. Take Beijing, for example, as the city prepares for more robot-based competitions, including the 1st World Humanoid Robot Sports Games later this year.
Beijing plans to hold a main event in August featuring humanoid robots as competitors, as well as a sideline event focused on human-robot interaction. According to information obtained by the Global Times from the Beijing municipal government’s official website, the main competitions include track and field, soccer, applied scenario, comprehensive skills and other major categories.
According to the government work report submitted at the 3rd session of the 16th Beijing Municipal People’s Congress on January 14, Beijing will develop humanoid robots, commercial spaces, bio-manufacturing, new materials, etc. in 2025. The plan is to prioritize the development of future industries.
“U.S. high-tech companies such as Tesla and NVIDIA have certain advantages in areas such as precise manipulation and manipulation ability of upper limbs, high-end chip manufacturing and cloud computing services,” the Shenzhen-based company said. Marketing Manager Yao Qiyuan said. EngineAI Robotics Technology Co. told the Global Times on Monday, adding that the Chinese company excels in motion control technology and creating advanced AI models, offering a wide range of application scenarios.
“If we compare the humanoid robot industry to a marathon, the Chinese and Western industries are within the first 1,000 meters from the starting line,” Jiao Jichao, vice president and executive director of UBTech Robotics’ research department, was quoted as saying by Xinhua News Agency. Ta. .
Yao also pointed out that humanoid robots have other uses beyond running marathons. It has potential in areas such as intelligent manufacturing, healthcare, and service industries. Success depends on reducing costs and expanding application scenarios, he added.
China’s humanoid robot industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years. According to the International Federation of Robotics, China will have installed about 276,300 robots in 2023, accounting for 51% of the world’s robot installations. The country’s robot industry is expected to grow to 400 billion yuan ($55 billion) by 2030.
According to a report in local media Shanghai Observer, Shanghai is actively promoting the development of a humanoid robot industry ecosystem, with unicorn companies such as Fourier Intelligence, Azibot, and Jiyuan Robotics emerging in this field. That’s what it means. Agibot has shared footage of its manufacturing facility on its official website, and the facility has reportedly produced 1,000 general-purpose humanoid robots so far.
On the global stage, Tesla’s bipedal humanoid robot Optimus will be able to navigate uneven terrain using neural networks that manage its powered limbs, the company’s CEO Elon Musk said in December 2024. Posted on X. Musk also predicts that by 2040 it will be in use around the world. The number of humanoid robots will exceed 10 billion.
Global Times
